1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to improvements in a process for cutting a sheet glass by a water jet, and a cutting apparatus for carrying out the cutting process.
2. Description of the Related Art
A technique for cutting a sheet glass by a water jet is already known, for example, from Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 5-201737.
In the conventional technique, when a sheet glass is cut using a water jet, a water flow is injected from a water jet nozzle onto the sheet glass only from one side of the sheet glass so that the water flow penetrates the sheet glass. In such a case where a fragile material such as sheet glass is cut by the penetration of the water flow, breaking or cracking is liable to occur in the other surface when the water flow penetrates the sheet glass from the one surface to the other surface. Even when the breaking or cracking does not occur, an edge of the cut portion on the other surface of the sheet glass is sharpened, and hence it is necessary to conduct a chamfering treatment after the cutting.